What Family Means
by NoKreeForMe
Summary: Daniel finds an abused child. Rating for language and strong situations. This is a complete stand alone. First fic too!


"What Family Means" By NoKreeForMe Summary: Daniel finds an abused child. (Not good at summaries, read the story!) Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are not owned by me. They belong to TPTB at MGM and Double Secret and all that whatnot. I am NOT making money from this. The only thing I own is the laptop it was typed on and Chad.   
  
Daniel Jackson groaned as he started his car in the dreary winter night. It was Friday, and he just wanted to get some rest. Even Daniel did not feel like looking at artifacts of translating tablets. He began the long descent down the mountain and to his home.  
After he parked, he was getting his briefcase out of the back of the car when he heard sobbing. He turned around slowly, trying to locate the source of the sound in the howling wind. He walked to the side of the apartment complex.  
"Hello?"  
The sobs abruptly ceased, but a muffled sniffling could be heard somewhere near the dumpster. He walked around the dumpster, and was surprised to see a child. He was wrapped up in a windbreaker that could not possibly protect him from the freezing weather. Daniel bent down to face the little boy.  
"Hey- what's your name?"  
"Ch-Chad Pierce." The small boy was shivering violently, and Daniel noticed a blue tinge to his lips. His hair was matted and dirty, and his face had streaks of frozen tears. Daniel noticed a fresh bruise forming on his cheek, as he gave the boy a hand.  
"My name's Daniel. Would you like to come in from the cold?" The boy nodded and Daniel quickly led him to his apartment. As soon as he locked the door, he grabbed a blanket out of the linen closet. He gave it to Chad and jogged to the pantry, digging through the wooden shelves. Coffee beans, cans of coffee, instant coffee, imported coffee... ah! He pulled out a box of hot chocolate and set some water to boil. Daniel walked back to where Chad was standing.  
"How about we change you out of those wet clothes?" Chad reluctantly nodded and walked with Daniel to the bathroom. Daniel told him he'd be right back and went to his bedroom. He grabbed a shirt and a pair of sweats from his drawers. When he got back Chad had taken off his jacket and was standing in the middle of the tile floor, wrapped up in the blanket. When he took the blanket off, Daniel sucked in a breath at the multicolored bruises on his arms. He gave Chad the clothes and left the room, closing the door. When Chad came out, Daniel rolled up the long legs of the sweatpants, then stood up and led Chad back into the living room.  
Chad sat on the couch while Daniel fixed the cocoa. Giving a mug to Chad, he sipped his appreciatively. Daniel decided it was time to ask some questions.  
"So, Chad, how old are you?"  
"Nine." Daniel sighed. This kid was way too skinny to be nine, but then again, Daniel was not the biggest kid when he was nine either. Daniel took a sip from his mug, and continued.  
"So why were you out there anyway? It's freezing!" Chad clamped his mouth shut and burrowed deeper into the blanket. Daniel tried again.  
"I bet your parents miss you and want you back home..."  
"My dad doesn't want me home." Chad's eyes were pleading, hoping that he wouldn't have to go back to that house. Daniel sighed again and rubbed the bridge of his nose.  
"Well, you can't stay here...but you definitely aren't going home!" Daniel said.  
Chad's eyes widened as he replied, "You're not going to send me home?" Chad looked up with teary but hopeful eyes. Daniel shook his head. He knew that he wouldn't be going back there to that place, but he doubted that Social Services would move the kid this late at night. "I'm going to have to make a few calls. Just stay right there."  
The first thing Daniel heard when the other line picked up was loud music and laughter. He almost thinks he had the wrong number until he heard Cassie's voice.  
"Hullo? No, Erica, the coke's in the fridge...who is this?"  
"Cass? This is Daniel. I need to talk to Janet. Tell her it's an emergency."  
"Ok..." Daniel paced the kitchen while Cassie got her mom. A minute later, an anxious Janet picked up.  
"Daniel? What's wrong? Cassie said it's important!"  
"Look, Janet, I can't explain it all right now, but could you come down here? I'm not hurt or anything. I swear I'll explain it all when you get here. It's really important."  
"Give me five minutes. Cassie has a sleepover and I'll have to tell her I'm leaving. See you when I get there." Janet hung up and Daniel stared at the phone. Janet had obviously picked up his sense of urgency if she wasn't asking questions over the phone. He wondered briefly who he should call next, then started to pace the kitchen.  
Janet knocked on the door. Daniel opened it and Janet practically leapt into the house.  
"Daniel, are you alright? What's wrong?" Janet searched the man's face worriedly. He explained how he found Chad and expressed his concern that Chad was being hit by someone, probably his father. He and Janet walked into the room and Daniel sat on the couch opposite Chad while Janet knelt down in front of Chad, carefully studying him.  
"Chad, this is Dr. Frasier. She's a doctor, okay?" Daniel squeezed Chad's shoulder and Chad grinned weakly at him. Janet asked Chad how he got hurt. Chad glanced at Daniel with terror in his eyes before mumbling, "I... fell down the stairs at my school. It was just an accident."  
"Chad, listen honey, I don't think that falling down the stairs could cause these kinds of injuries," Janet took a deep breath before continuing, "I'm going to ask you a very serious question and I want you to answer honestly, okay?" Chad nodded slowly, knowing what question was about to be asked.  
"Has someone you know hit you?" Daniel couldn't help himself as he turned away. He didn't see Chad's reaction, but rather heard it, a muffled sniffling and Janet whispering, "It's okay, it's going to be okay..." Daniel stood up and walked straight to the phone and called the police. He walked back into the living room and told Janet the police were on their way. He reassured Chad once more, then turned to the window and rubbed his eyes against the pounding headache that had sprung up.  
As the police were busy questioning Chad, Janet, and Daniel, a Social Services representative had shown up. Ms. Lee, Chad's social worker, had been notified. Woken up even, by a polite yet irritating police officer. She stood by waiting for Daniel to finish recounting the events that had taken place that night, and then approached him.  
"Thank you for notifying someone. A full investigation is pending for Chad's foster parents. Chad will be..."  
"I know, stuck back in the system. I was part of the whole foster thing when I was young." Daniel looked worn. Well I am, too, Ms. Lee thought as she put on her best we-appreciate-your-input face.  
"Sir, we guarantee Chad will be put be put in the best foster family we can find-"  
"Yeah. Only the best foster home." Daniel spat contemptuously and turned away. It could have been worse, she thought as she walked toward an officer to discuss who gets custody of Chad for the night.  
After a lot of hassling with the officers and Social Services woman, they had finally come to a compromise. Chad could stay at Daniel's as long as Janet stayed at the house. The police would arrive at 8 o'clock sharp to take him to the Social Services building to deal with him. Janet showed Chad to the guest bedroom while Daniel shooed the police out of the door. Once the police were gone, Daniel sunk into the couch and lay back, rubbing his eyes. Someone tapped his shoulder and he jumped.  
"Geez, Janet. You startled me." Janet smiled and handed him a glass of water. Daniel stared at it for a minute, then looked up at Janet and asked, "Thanks. What's it for?"  
"For you to take these," Janet said as she handed him two pills, "and don't tell me you don't have a headache, Doctor Jackson. I've been your doctor far too long." Daniel almost started to protest, but shrugged and took the pills. Janet sat down on a chair next to him.  
"So, how are you doing, Daniel?"  
"I'm fine. Oh, right, I've got a headache but I'm fine." Daniel muttered. Janet glanced at him.  
"You know what I mean. How do you feel about all this?"  
"Janet, no kid has to go through this. He was beaten. By someone he was supposed to have been able to trust." Daniel forced back memories that threatened to play in his mind. He sighed and said, "I'm going to sleep. Do you want to sleep on the bed? I'll sleep on the couch..."  
"Cassie had a sleepover. I wasn't planning on getting much sleep anyway. If I get sleepy, I can crash on the couch." Daniel nodded and headed to bed. He fell into a fitful sleep.  
Daniel sat on the couch, engrossed in a book telling the stories of Ra and the great Egyptian gods. He murmured in amazement at the ancient pictures that depicted great battles; stories of trial and triumph. He heard a key scrape in the door lock, and he scrambled off of the couch, dropping his book in the process of running to his room. He wasn't supposed to be up this late, but when his foster mother brought home the new Egypt book and left for her night shift, he could not resist. Now, immersed in his bedcovers, he realized he forgot it. Almost ten seconds later, he heard the most terrifying sound.  
"BOY! GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE NOW!" Daniel thought about staying in bed, but leaped out of bed the next second. It would be worse if he didn't go.  
"Y-Y-Yes, Father?"  
"What is this?" His foster father swayed as bloodshot eyes focused on the book lying on the floor.  
"My book..." Daniel knew that Father was drunk. He quivered, wondering what was going to happen this time. Abruptly, he found himself face to face with the person that he would never call 'Daddy'.  
"Danny who got you this book?" As Daniel looked into those half- glazed eyes, and the perfectly calm face, he decided that he would answer.  
"Mother did."  
The hand came up and hit him right on the cheekbone. Another one hit him across the shoulder, throwing him on the ground. Crawling across the floor, Daniel tried to grab his book. Kevin, drunk and raging, threw the book across the room. He descended on Daniel in a flurry of fists-  
Daniel sat up in bed, trembling, a fine sheen of sweat covering his face. He raised his hand to his cheek, remembering the shiner he had. He got out of bed and decided to make a cup of coffee. As the coffee was brewing, he went to check on Chad. He was sleeping, wrapped up in the bedcovers like a sleeping armadillo. Daniel closed the door and headed back to the kitchen. Janet was sitting at the table, yawning. "Heard the coffee machine," she explained.  
As the sun was rising over a hill, Chad stumbled into the living room, rubbing his eyes. Daniel called to him and gave him a plate of eggs and toast. He sat down opposite Chad and sipped his coffee. The police would arrive soon. Chad would need to be ready to go home. Wherever that is, Daniel thought miserably to himself as he drained his cup. Daniel gave Chad his own clothes back, washed and dried, and went in the living room while Chad changed. A few minutes later, right at eight o'clock, the police arrived. Chad was on edge as he looked out of the window at the police cars. Gently Daniel squeezed his hand.  
The police were waiting for Ms. Lee to show up. She pulled up in her own car 15 minutes later. Daniel was outside talking with one of the police officers when she interrupted.  
"Excuse me, but if we are all done here, Chad needs to come with us." Daniel cleared his throat as he turned toward her.  
"Where are they taking him, anyway?"  
"Well, we are going to his house. He can pick up his things there. Then we'll go down to the Social Services building and start looking for families to put him in." Daniel digested this information, and then talked to the group a few minutes more, hoping he could convince them to let them drive Chad to the place.  
Chad stared outside as he sat in the passenger seat. Daniel had turned the radio on, and was humming along with the music. Chad turned toward Daniel and asked, "What do you do?" Daniel turned down the music.  
"Well, I'm an archeologist, which means that I look at things in the past, like ancient vases and stuff. I know lots of different languages, too. I've even been to Egypt!"  
"Wow!" Chad's eyes were wide with astonishment as he asked, "Can you teach me some stuff like in a different language?"  
"Sure, why not?"  
By the time Daniel and Chad reached the Wilson's driveway, Chad knew how to say 'hello' in six languages. As Daniel got out of the car, Chad gave a little squeal of delight.  
"My mama's home!" He bounded up the doorstep and knocked on the door. Daniel walked up just as the door opened. Chad hugged his mother tightly and greeted her with an overenthusiastic "Hola!" Mrs. Wilson gasped in surprise and knelt down in front of her son, murmuring something.  
"Yeah! Mr. Daniel taught me how to say hello in bunches of languages!" Chad exclaimed. Mrs. Wilson smiled up at Daniel and thanked him for bringing Chad back. Daniel tried to make small talk with Mrs. Wilson as the police escorted Chad to his room.  
Daniel started the drive back, but on the lonely backcountry road, he pulled over. He pulled the key out of the ignition. I shouldn't have sent him back there. I should have done something more. Daniel banged on the dashboard with his fists, expressing his frustration. He took several deep breaths, willing himself to calm down. He realized that a tear was running down his cheek. He wiped it away, thinking of how better things would have been, how better it would have been for someone to take him away before his old foster parents rejected him. The next week  
Daniel sat obediently on the uncomfortable bed as Janet looked him over. They had found nothing if interest in P4X-221, and perhaps the most interesting of their whole day thing were their post mission physicals. Janet motioned to him, and he realized that he had missed something important.  
"Erm... sorry, what were you saying?"  
"I asked you if you were feeling okay." Janet's concerned look glanced over him as she wrote in his chart. Daniel sighed.  
"I'm just thinking about what happened last week. I've been wondering how he's doing, you know."  
"I'm sure he's fine, Daniel."  
"May I go?" Janet nodded, saying, "You may go, but if you need to talk, I'll be here." Daniel hopped off the bed. He changed and drove home, thinking of a long hot shower and a good sleep. As he was brewing a pot of coffee, his home phone rang. This in itself was an oddity, as he had no social life. At 9:45 at night, however, Daniel could think of no other person that would call but Jack or General Hammond. He was surprised to hear Chad's voice on the line.  
"Hey Mr. Daniel! It's Chad!"  
"Hi Chad. How have you been?"  
"Great! My new foster dad's taking me to a baseball game this weekend. I think I'm going to catch a foul ball!"  
"Wow. I hope you do. Maybe you could get it autographed."  
"Yeah... hey, Mr. Daniel... thanks for helping me out with, you know, all that stuff with my old dad."  
"Hey, believe me, it was no problem. Try to keep in touch."  
"Okay, bye," Chad said as Daniel placed the phone back on the cradle and closed his eyes. He headed for bed, leaving the cold coffee in the pot. As he descended into the fog of sleep; he knew that by helping that kid, he had helped himself. As he smiled to himself, sleep overtook him and he dreamed of good things: of friends and the family that loved him. 


End file.
